Author Cherry Lou Sy Interview

booktalkwithbookis
Jul 25
4 min read

Tell us a little bit about Love Can't Feed You:

LOVE CAN"T FEED YOU is the story of a family from the Philippines told from the point-of-view of seventeen-year-old Queenie. When her elderly Chinese father, younger brother Junior, and Queenie arrive in New York City to join her Filipina mother--an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) nurse who came a few years before they did--they are surprised to see how changed she is from the woman they remember. In the course of five years, we see the family fracture and break apart as the tensions of assimilation threaten their family.

What three words would you use to describe Love Can't Feed You?

Heartfelt, Immigrant, Love

When did you start writing or know you wanted to be an author?

I distinctly remember being in fifth or sixth grade and wanting to write. I had a school principal in the Philippines who doubled as the English teacher. I don't remember what the prompt was but I ended up writing about an old gold coin that came from a sunken Spanish galleon. The coin was narrating its tales of adventure. Apparently, I was the only one in my class who wrote something outlandish like that. In a PTA meeting, she told my dad that he should look out for me and encourage my writing.

Much like your main character, Queenie, you are also originally from the Philippines and are of Chinese and Filipino heritage. What other aspects of Queenie's character do you see in yourself?

What I tried to do with the character of Queenie was channel all the identity confusion that someone who has a mixed Chinese and Filipino background would have. I hadn't seen any literary works that talked about this specific mix in a character and it felt important to me to be able to work on a character that literally looks like me. Is the character me? No. Queenie's still a work of fiction. Sometimes, the choices that she make or did not make irritated me. But in writing her, I also discovered aspects of myself. In a way, Queenie felt like a mirror.

Why is a novel that focuses on immigrant experiences and finding a new identity in a new country especially poignant in this day and age?

I think discussing migration is always poignant. The difference might be in time, place, and people. People usually migrate for a singular purpose--to find safety in a present that extends to the future.

Is there something special you did to celebrate the release of Love Can't Feed You?

During my book launch, I had my brother design a special 3-D image of my book cover as a cake topper. The event was stressful even though it seemed simple enough. I have a toddler, so everything I could actually do was limited. I was even breastfeeding during the book signing and stalled the line!

Your debut was traditionally published by Dutton, which is an imprint of Penguin. What advice would you give others who are hoping to publish traditionally?

There are a few points I think are important: 1) Write the best work you could possibly do. 2) Be a good literary citizen and support the literary community by showing up for other writers when you can in the capacity you are able to. It's a rising circle. 3) Be relentless with your editing. Don't be too precious with your work. 4) Live life. Sometimes, you need to step away from what you're writing and just experience life.

What advice would you give to someone who has moved to a new country and is still adjusting to their new life?

Don't be afraid to hold on to who you are, but don't be afraid to experience new things.

You are also a playwright, which is so cool! How did your experience as a playwright assist you when it came to writing a novel?

As a playwright, I usually think in terms of dialogue and conflict. I was, I felt, a bit spare in how I wrote some scenes because you usually let the scene in plays breathe by using space and text. There is also a belief that the text is activated by the performer. I suppose this is why some readers described the book as poetic because there was also a lot of white space.

Outside of writing, what other hobbies do you have?

Right now, fortunately or unfortunately, all my attention is on my kid. I used to garden. I miss doing that.

Are you working on any upcoming projects that you can tell us about?

Yes, I'm working on a speculative novel told in four points of view about a daughter who chases her father to the underworld to stop a family curse from activating.